Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Fran was MVP in 1975 but he had many seasons as good or almost as good. One SB championship would have made all the difference in his legacy and that of many Vikings players of the Bud Grant era.

JohnH19 wrote:Fran was MVP in 1975 but he had many seasons as good or almost as good. One SB championship would have made all the difference in his legacy and that of many Vikings players of the Bud Grant era.

I've noted multiple times how Elway was on the verge of being the 90's version of Tarkenton prior to the SB against the Packers. Just over a year later and the second straight title, he was suddenly an iconic legend, etc...

RyanChristiansen wrote:How did Fran Tarkenton lose to Roger Staubach in getting on the NFL 100 All Time Team? They’re even on completion percentage and nearly even on yards per attempt and QB rating but Tarkenton has twice as many games, yards, and TDs while having fewer sacks than Staubach. This has nothing to do with Super Bowls. Dan Marino made the 100 and he’s been to one fewer Super Bowl than Fran.

If you want to talk about QBs from the 70s, why is Staubach in over Terry Bradshaw? The man won four super bowls in six seasons.

sluggermatt15 wrote:If you want to talk about QBs from the 70s, why is Staubach in over Terry Bradshaw? The man won four super bowls in six seasons.

Bart Starr won five championships in seven seasons and he didn't make the list either. I don't object to that, but if I had to pick between Starr and Bradshaw, I'd go with Starr.

sluggermatt15 wrote: If you want to talk about QBs from the 70s, why is Staubach in over Terry Bradshaw? The man won four super bowls in six seasons.

I, as a Steeler-fan, am not saying that Terry Bradshaw should have "definitely" been in the top-10 QBs. And I got immense respect for Staubach thus won't protest he getting in. He served our Country, a class act; had he pursued a career in politics as many suggest he should have done, I would have seen him as very voteable with me no matter what party. Of course his on-field career and accolades (what he should be solely judged on) once he became a starter all the way through the '79 post-season...yes, needs no pointing out. His legendary status undebatable!

I just thought Terry's name would be mentioned/considered a little bit more. Montana himself was surprised he didn't make it in. Yes, Staubach has the overall stats over TB. Terry going 2-for-2 head-to-head against Rog in both SB contests (4-for-4 overall when including '77 & '79 reg season affairs) is simply a mere mention with me (won't place too much stock in it), but more-so than just a mere mention is Terry calling his own plays. I know, it's not Roger's fault Landry didn't let him do so. I'd like to think Staubach would have been a brilliant play-caller if allowed; but he simply didn't and Terry did.

Is it Bradshaw's early ridiculous rep as being..."dumb"? He allegedly "riding the coattails" of an all-around all-time great team? Four-for-four close SBs contests (IX vs Minn close-enough, at least scoreboard-wise) and Terry (who had to play well to get it done) came through, even in-spite of shooting himself in feet at times with INTs but not letting it get to him and digging himself out of his own holes, leading his team to victory with big crucial plays. I feel there are numerous great QBs who, if put if Terry's shoes, would not have won four SBs in that span; a big %age of those great QBs not even winning two! I know his stats don't hold up but sometimes, as been said already on this site about other QBs, it's intangibles that must be considered instead. I loved Favre! Loved his style of play (quite similar to TB's), but I would actually place Terry above him.

I think the Blue Ribbon did a great job overall (yes, Bronco Nagurski an insane glaring ommission on steroids). After (in chrono-order) Baugh/Graham/Unitas/Montana/Manning/Brady (my personal top-6 QBs), I'm not sure I'd have Terry amongst my 'extra' four. Maybe, maybe not. But I at least would have had him one of those pressed-up against outside trying to break in. I just hope the BR's reason for not including him had nothing to do with the reasons I mention in the previous paragraph, but simply they felt four others were simply even better.

Bob Gill wrote: Bart Starr won five championships in seven seasons and he didn't make the list either. I don't object to that, but if I had to pick between Starr and Bradshaw, I'd go with Starr.

If both Starr & Staubach were better than Bradshaw - and maybe both were - I'd have less issue with Bart being placed above him than Rog being placed above him. Again, not sure what my top-10 QBs would be; but if you force a top-8 upon me? Very likely enough it's Starr & Elway filling both spots.

This is merely a hypothetical, but let's put Bradshaw with the Cowboys and Staubach with the Steelers, same career accomplishments, and see which one, if either, makes the top ten.

Terry Baldshaw wrote:This is merely a hypothetical, but let's put Bradshaw with the Cowboys and Staubach with the Steelers, same career accomplishments, and see which one, if either, makes the top ten.

The other thing...and it's definitely not Staubach's fault, but the whole 'America's Team' bias. Perhaps Bradshaw would actually be in and Staubach out in such a hypothetical event. The greatest 'weapon' in the pro-Bradshaw artillery, plain and simple, is Terry winning four-out-of-four close Super Bowls versus the likes of the...Purple People Eaters, the Doomsday (twice), and - last but not least - vs a Rams defense that was great all through the '70s, maybe were "off" during the '79 regular season, but were not only "back" once the playoffs began, but DC'd by not only a defensive Legend in Bud Carson, but Bud Carson being quite obviously familiar with that Steeler offense. Yet, Bradshaw prevailed each and every time, even if not at his best early in each SB affair yet correcting things in the end to win each and every time! Simply sick clutch!!

And, again, he called his own plays.

74_75_78_79_ wrote:

Terry Baldshaw wrote:This is merely a hypothetical, but let's put Bradshaw with the Cowboys and Staubach with the Steelers, same career accomplishments, and see which one, if either, makes the top ten.

The other thing...and it's definitely not Staubach's fault, but the whole 'America's Team' bias. Perhaps Bradshaw would actually be in and Staubach out in such a hypothetical event. The greatest 'weapon' in the pro-Bradshaw artillery, plain and simple, is Terry winning four-out-of-four close Super Bowls versus the likes of the...Purple People Eaters, the Doomsday (twice), and - last but not least - vs a Rams defense that was great all through the '70s, maybe were "off" during the '79 regular season, but were not only "back" once the playoffs began, but DC'd by not only a defensive Legend in Bud Carson, but Bud Carson being quite obviously familiar with that Steeler offense. Yet, Bradshaw prevailed each and every time, even if not at his best early in each SB affair yet correcting things in the end to win each and every time! Simply sick clutch!!

And, again, he called his own plays.

The two long passes Bradshaw hit in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XIV were the best I ever saw a QB make in a big game situation. The first put the Steelers back in front. The second set up the TD making it 31-19.

SixtiesFan wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote:

Terry Baldshaw wrote:This is merely a hypothetical, but let's put Bradshaw with the Cowboys and Staubach with the Steelers, same career accomplishments, and see which one, if either, makes the top ten.

The other thing...and it's definitely not Staubach's fault, but the whole 'America's Team' bias. Perhaps Bradshaw would actually be in and Staubach out in such a hypothetical event. The greatest 'weapon' in the pro-Bradshaw artillery, plain and simple, is Terry winning four-out-of-four close Super Bowls versus the likes of the...Purple People Eaters, the Doomsday (twice), and - last but not least - vs a Rams defense that was great all through the '70s, maybe were "off" during the '79 regular season, but were not only "back" once the playoffs began, but DC'd by not only a defensive Legend in Bud Carson, but Bud Carson being quite obviously familiar with that Steeler offense. Yet, Bradshaw prevailed each and every time, even if not at his best early in each SB affair yet correcting things in the end to win each and every time! Simply sick clutch!!

And, again, he called his own plays.

The two long passes Bradshaw hit in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XIV were the best I ever saw a QB make in a big game situation. The first put the Steelers back in front. The second set up the TD making it 31-19.

Bradshaw had only seven 300-yard games in his entire career...but three of them came in the playoffs. I think that says a lot about his big-game ability.